Meet the Crew: Steve Kissing, donor

A serendipitously timed email brought Steve Kissing to Adventure Crew. He's now been a supporter for half of our 10-year existence.

The Cincinnati native, who has lived on both the West and East sides and "can get around either side of town without needing a map app," had been looking to support a nonprofit that helps young people experience the outdoors. He found that organization in his inbox one day in 2018, in the form of an email about marketing agency Hyperquake's rebranding of Adventure Crew. Although Steve received the message because he's in the marketing business -- he currently works as an advisor to Wordsworth Communications, one of the Midwest's oldest independent PR firms and one of Cincinnati's most decorated -- he read about our mission and realized the Crew was just the kind of organization he'd been looking to support.

"I believe outdoor adventures of all sorts are good for the body, mind and soul," he said. "I believe that these experiences are particularly necessary during one's youth, as they provide a counterbalance to our screen-driven culture and instill healthy habits early on."

"I also believe that the outdoors are for all to enjoy and shouldn't be restricted by one's age, race, economic situation or any other factor," he added.

Steve himself grew up enjoying the outdoors, making the most of our city park system and dreaming of visiting some national parks, "something beyond the means of my family at that time," he said. As an adult, he's enjoyed a range of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, trail running and fishing. And he's managed to make his dream of visiting some national parks come true (so far, Yosemite is his favorite). His wife, Angie, also loves the outdoors (and Adventure Crew's mission!). They have four daughters and one grandson and enjoy camping as a family several times a year.

"What Adventure Crew does is so important and necessary," Steve added. "I continue to support the group because of the leadership's abundant passion and dedication to the mission and because of the creativity they bring to programming. Of course, seeing the smiles on the kids' faces as they bike, hike, ski, fish, etc. is particularly gratifying."

Join Steve as an Adventure Crew supporter! Visit www.adventurecrew.org/donate to make your gift.